Man claiming to be SP leader threatens activist

Lucknow: A woman RTI activist on Tuesday alleged having received a death threat from a man who claimed to be a senior leader of the Samajwadi Party's Gujarat unit. A party official said they would probe if there was any such leader while police said they would take action.

Right to Information (RTI) activist Urvashi Sharma said she received the threat call on her cell number around 11 a.m. on Tuesday. The whistle blower who has been relentlessly pursuing cases against corruption, specially in social welfare and women welfare departments, says the caller identified himself as Hari Bhai Yadav and asked her to stop filing complaints and RTI pleas.

The man, identifying himself as Hari Singh, a senior leader of SP, warned Urvashi Sharma she will be kidnapped.

"Neta-ji (party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav) bahut naraaz hain tumse, utha li jaogi" (Mulayam Singh is very angry with you. You will be kidnapped)," the man said, according to Sharma. "This man gave me death threats and threatened me with dire consequences if I do not stop my fight against corruption."

The caller initially said the call to Sharma was "made by mistake" and then sought the matter be dropped. Identifying himself as an SP leader, he said: "There was no point taking the matter further." He said he will talk to Lucknow DIG to "settle the matter".

Arvind Yadav, personal secretary to Mulayam Singh, said he did not know of any such person and would check from the party. Condemning the call, he said the woman should inform police and seek security.

Informed of the threat call, Lucknow's Deputy Inspector General of Police Navneet Sikera said the case would be taken up at the highest priority. "The law will deal with this man once an FIR is lodged," he assured.

Sharma said she apprehends that the phone call was made on behalf of a senior Indian Administrative Service official, against whom she has recently sought a probe. "I am sure it is this official who is after all this," she alleged, adding the official is the same who was last year sent back to the state cadre UP prematurely from the union government on charges of "anti-national activity and corruption".

Sharma said she also faxed copies of her letter seeking probe into the threat call to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Chief Secretary Javed Usmani.